Role Responsibilities

Reporting to a Manager in the Indigenous and Community Partnerships Unit of the Legislation and Community Partnerships Branch, the Senior Policy Analyst brings a depth of research, analysis and policy development skill, combined with project management experience, to support the planning, implementation and monitoring of grant-funded projects and initiatives. The Indigenous and Community Partnerships Unit oversees a diverse range of initiatives focused on in-person and virtual prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery supports for children, youth, and their families, including targeted populations such as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, immigrants, and refugees. 

As a Senior Policy Analyst within this Branch, you will focus on enhancing the continuum of care for child and youth mental health and addiction as part of the Alberta Recovery Model. You will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following activities:
 

• Managing multiple child and youth focused grants from proposal to close-out, providing sound advice and upholding stakeholder accountability to deliverables.
• Fostering sustainable, positive working relationships with diverse stakeholders to further ministry priorities. 
• Conducting research and policy analysis to inform child and youth mental health and addiction policy, strategy development, and implementation. 
• Leading policy and options development for consideration and decision by the Minister and senior management. 
• Supporting the coordinated development of communications, plans and reports to reflect available services and achievements across broad provincial priorities for the addiction and mental health system and department business goals. 
• Applying project management techniques and tools to assigned projects, adjusting project portfolios and plans accordingly to effectively and efficiently achieve high quality, sustainable results.
   

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position regarding the 1 year role.
Please click on this link to view the job description for this position regarding the 10 month role.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

In this role, you will contribute to our team by demonstrating the following behavioral competencies:
 

Systems Thinking
 

• Anticipate outcomes and potential impacts across interrelated areas and factors this into planning.
• Integrates issues, political environment and risks when considering possible actions.
   

Creative Problem Solving
 

• Asks questions to get a deeper understanding of present issues.
• Contributing ideas for how work can be done differently to solve common problems.
   

Agility
 

• Asks questions, seeks clarification and assess how things will be different when change is introduced or anticipated.
• Takes advantage of opportunities to change how work is completed to better anticipate obstacles and improve service.
   

Drive for Results
 

• Takes past experience into considerations when making plans and adjusts plans based on past learning.
• Identifies and acts on opportunities to partner with other groups to achieve desired outcomes.
   

Develop Networks
 

• Identifies key stakeholder contacts with whom a relationship must be established.
• Maintains contacts with a range of colleagues, clients and stakeholders.
   

Build Collaborative Environments
 

• Creates opportunities for project teams and stakeholders to share information.
• Respects others' point-of-view and encourages idea generation to collectively reach solutions.

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standards 
University degree in a health, human services, social sciences or public administration, and a minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of:
 

• 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or
• 1 year of experience for 1 year of education

Experience in health or social services, and/or addiction and mental health related experience are assets. Grant management and/or project management experience is an asset.

The Senior Policy Analyst requires knowledge and understanding of: 
 

• GoA policy and requirements for grants to external organizations.
• Current and emerging addiction and mental health issues, including concurrent disorders, complex needs, health promotion strategies and theories, addiction and mental illness prevention and integration of strategies and services across sectors.
• Ministry and GoA frameworks for operational business planning and reporting, including timelines, formats, and standards.
• Policy, planning and strategy approval and decision-making processes applicable to the ministry.
• Government strategic and policy directions and priorities as they relate to the branch mandate and initiatives, project management approaches and methods.
• Relevant stakeholder network, including health and non-health sector groups as well as government and non­government stakeholders.
• Addiction and mental health related legislation and ministry priorities.
• Systems thinking to design projects and identify linkages across initiatives.
• Creative problem-solving ability to assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.
• Agility to anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.
• Imagination and a level of comfort in challenging the status quo and considering a range of possible futures.
• Strong interpersonal skills and relationship building skills with varied stakeholder groups.
• Ability to apply information integration skills, including analyzing, interpreting and synthesizing information drawn from disparate sources to develop recommendations.
• Oral communication skills, including ability to communicate with multiple stakeholders in a politically complex environment (develops networks).
• Written communication skills to draft responses, develop various types of reports and presentations for diverse audiences.
• Organizational skills, including ability to self-direct work and to prioritize multiple responsibilities to meet deadlines.
• Effective project management skills to ensure progress is on time and on track and that outcomes are being achieved.
   

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

There are (2) temporary positions. The working days are Monday – Friday, 36.25 hours/week. A cover letter is mandatory. 

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.
 

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.